A 59-year-old British man is facing four years, six months in jail for fraud after allegedly selling a property in Arboleas (Almería) to fellow compatriots as “completely legal.”

He is also faces a fine of 16 months at six euros a day.

The house, which had been illegally built, lacking a building licence on green-belt land, was passed on as residencia habitual to the buyer.

Mr G.D.C. as sole administrator of two companies “knowingly,” according to the Public Prosecutor, carried out the sale in February 2001 to a British couple

The contract was on a piece of land in the La Cinta area with a condition of the sale being the construction of a dwelling by one of the two said companies.

The buyers bought the land with the total conviction that it possessed all the legal requisites in paperwork to build their dream house.

In March that year, the accused allegedly entered into another contract with the buyers related to the previous purchase in which they became the building developers of the land. He also pledged to provide the purchasers with electricity, water mains hook up and a building licence, whilst covering all the legal expenses entailed.

But there was no building licence or first-occupation certificate “whatsoever,” says the Public Prosecutor.

What the accused did apply for was a licence to build an agricultural store shed in June 2002.

The total price of the sale was 190,324 euros, which was completely paid by the 1st of February 2006.

By 2012 the dwelling still lacked a water supply as there was no first-occupation certificate, which was when the couple took the man to court.

(News: Arboleas, Almeria, Andalucia)